Light of November

As we hurtle towards the shortest day of the year, light becomes a huge topic of conversation for those of us who live above the 49th parallel.

This weekend, we "fell back", as in turned back the clocks by one hour in order to, to...help kids walk home from school in the sunlight? (Do kids still do that? Aren't they all bussed?) Allow farmers to farrow their fields in the late afternoon? Huh? Their combines now come equipped with lights, and stereo systems, and leather seats, so that's not right. No....no, wait!  I think it's the opposite. We "spring forward" for those reasons. I have no idea why we fall back. Because someone in 1926 said we should, before the installation of  Sirius Radio on the ol' John Deere? Who knows?  I'm sure someone will enlighten me.

But this I do know...

 This morning I woke up in the dark, drove to work in the dark.

Came home in the dark. Heard the term Seasonally Affective Disorder (SAD) for the first time this season, and thought about the benefits of being a bear,

sleeping the dark away.

In the meantime, I wait patiently for sunrise, 

knowing it will help lighten my mood.

Rust and gold and copper and gray. This is the light of November.

Castor Foil (Canadian Icons, Pt. II)

This November has been amazingly mild and dry. It is usually the gray, wet and rainy month, the month where there's hardly any sun and not much to do but hunker down and eat too much. Not so this year...it's been great for woody rambles, like the one I took the other day and found the marbles someone had "lost". I found other treasures as well.

This is a pretty common scene around here, one that we generally take forgranted and don't do much about, unless of course you're a farmer and the field that has become a pond  thanks to the industrious dam building of the mighty beaver is posing a problem.
It is truly awesome how  big toothed, furry rodents with a leathery tails can gnaw their way through huge trees!

 Must be great for their fur coats, though as the beaver is a primary reason that the Voyageurs explored this area, seeking beaver pelts to take back to the kings and queens and lords and ladies of the Old World.

While wandering down the side road, enjoying the afternoon quiet, I heard the tell tale "Slap!" and in the small pond beside the road, I just caught a glimpse of the beaver before he headed underwater, leaving nothing but a few beaver bubbles behind.

I thought, well, I can wait. He'll have to come for air sooner or later. I mean, how far can he swim underwater?

Very far it seems. He's hardly visible, in the upper left, where the water meets the edge of the land. Farther than my camera could take me. The beaver is a Canadian icon, renowned for his industriousness, strength in adversity and an uncanny ability to perceive danger and act accordingly. And eat big trees for breakfast.

Definitions

Definition of a nice day?
It’s way too nice to be in doors. A gorgeous mid November day, with lots of sunshine is not to be missed – so I didn’t.
Definition of cute?   The little Black capped Chickadee. When Nature created this fistful of feathers, nothing was left to chance. Perky tail. Wink of an eye. Kiss of colour. Sweet call a dee dee dee. And friendly disposition. What is there possibly not to love?

Definition of a teenager?
The Bluejay. Smart mouth, and constantly in use –whether imitating clothes lines or coming in for a landing and screeching at others to “Getouttatheway, Now!” Snappy dresser, likes to draw attention to its brilliant and various shades of blue. Picky eater. “Not just any nuts thank you., and next time? Shelled would be better!"
Just this side of gluttonous. I counted 5 peanuts this guy was able to carry in his mouth – all at once. He had that dish done in less than 15 minutes! And a party dude. This guy travels with all his friends…usually about 10 of them, eating me out of house and home, while scaring off the little ones. But still, there’s something you just can’t help but like about’em.

Definition of a banker?

The Hairy Woodpecker. Wears a prim black and white suit. Constantly working, rarely seen just hanging around the local branch. Always exploring places for new deposits. Always makes a big entrance, wings extended, “Hey look at me!” type. And definitely a little bit nutsy.

Linear thinking.

 In a world gone mad with shapes, sizes, whirls, whims and fancy sometimes it's nice just to keep a few things straight between us.

A few things that rely on function first, and form second. This pier jutting out into Chesapeake  Bay is functional. It's for fishing. Secondary is the fact that it's rather pleasing in a pillarish sort of way.

 Dreamers dreamed of building this. Knowing someday, some way, it would happen. A bridge over the bay would be built. And both ends of that bridge would change forever. Did they ponder the effects of their dreaming?

Should they have?

Now the artist who dreamt this chair was thinking of many things.

Where we are when we eat food.

  Where food goes.What's the natural flow of food.

How do I keep people from sitting on my visual feast.

November is a good time to think about sort of serious things

in between Hallowe`en and Christmas.